Thermometer holder



Patented Feb. 27, 1940 Ernest Oscar Valane, Oak Terrace, Minn., assignorof one-half to G. A. Gofi, Hennepin County,

Mmn

Application July 19, 1937, Serial No. 154,406

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a holding device and while the invention mighthave various applications to hold different kinds of articles, onespecific article intended to be held is a thermometer such as used inhospitals.

It is the common practice in the modern hospital to have a thermometerin the patients room for taking the temperature of the patient atdesired intervals. One common way of holding the thermometer has been tosecure a receptacle for holding the thermometer to the bedpost byadhesive tape. This mars and disfigures the post and the application andremoval of the tape objectionably jars the patient. It is desirable tohave a simple and efiicient means which can be easily and quicklyapplied to and removed from the supporting means without shock. It isalso desirable to have a. holder comprising-a container, which containercan be readily removed.

It is an object of this invention therefore, to provide an extremelysimple, eflicient and. easily operated holder for a thermometer orsimilar article.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a holder for athermometer or similar article which can easily be placed upon a bedpost to be supported thereby and which conveniently and removably holdsa container.

It is more specifically an object of the invention to provide a holderfor a thermometer or similar article comprising a tubular open-toppedcontainer and a bracket preferably made of one piece of sheet materialhaving pairs of resilient arms adapted to clamp the bed post andresilient means embracing and holding said container.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fullyset forth in the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawing in which like reference characters refer to similarparts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a bed showing the inventionapplied to a part of said bed;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the holder; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2as indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, a device is shown comprising a container [0having an open top and a closed bottom and an elongated chamber therein.While this holder might be made in various ways or of various forms, inthe embodiment of the invention illustrated, it is shown as made of atube, preferably of glass, having a rounded lower end. Said container I0has in the bottom thereof a small quantity of some yielding material Hwhich may be of fabric material such as cotton or may be of sponge orsponge rubber. Said container I0 is supported in a bracket designatedgenerally as l2. While bracket l2 might be variously formed, in theembodiment of the invention illustrated it is shown as made from onepiece of sheet material. Said material is preferably metal and thedevice conveniently may be made of brass, sheet aluminum, or any sheetmaterial suitably plated. Bracket l2 has at its top and bottom a pair ofresilient arms l2a, the same being oppositely disposed and substantiallysemi-cylindrical in form, said pairs of arms having a common axis. ArmsIZa may have secured to their concave sides a sheet of some softyielding material l3 such as rubber or soft fabric. A narrow strip ofmaterial l2b extends between the arms lZa and said strip has extendingtherefrom intermediate said arms l2a. another pair of arms [20. Arms 12cextend substantially oppositely to arms In and are also of substantiallysemi-cylindrical form and oppositely disposed. Arms l2c are constructedand arranged to embrace and clamp the container I0. Bracket I2 also hasat its lower end a small plate I211 which extends in the same directionas arms [20 and forms a support for the bottom of container l0.

In operation, the device may be supported upon the bed post Ilia of thebed l5 and it will be seen from Fig. 1 that arms I211. embrace the post15a and said arms grip and clamp said post so that bracket I2 issupported securely thereon. There will be no marring of the post due tothe lining l3 and the bracket can be placed on and removed from the postwith little effort. Container 10 is firmly supported in the arms [20 andon the plate 12d. Container i0 is therefore supported in verticalposition close to the post [5a. The thermometer will be placed in thecontainer l0 and will have its lower end, preferably the mercury endresting on the material ll thermometer shown as [6 in Fig. 1, willprotrude slightly from the top of container I 0 so that it may be veryeasily taken hold of for removal.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided anextremely simple, highly efficient and inexpensive device for supportinga thermometer. The device can be easily changed in position from onepost to another and can thus be placed within reach of the patient whenthis is desired. It is obvious that the device may be supported at anyheight on the post and the same will remain in the position in which itis The placed. The device is small and compact and is not in the way ofeither the nurse, patient or other persons. The device has been amplydemonstrated in actual practice and found to be very successful andeificient.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, withoutdeparting from the scope of applicants invention, which generallystated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects aboveset forth in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and definedin the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A thermometer holder having in combination; a

tubular container having an open upper end, a

bracket formed of one piece of sheet material having at its top andbottom oppositely disposed resilient substantially semi cylindrical armsadapted to embrace and clamp a bed post, said 1 bracket having spacedresilient oppositely disposed substantially semi-cylindrical arms dis-'-ERNEST OSCAR VALANE.

